12 Things That Being A Dance Mom Has Taught Me
I was not a dancer growing up. Sure I took a couple dance classes for fun the I was little, but I played soccer. That was my thing. Now I enjoy running and being active, so it is no surprise that my daughter has always been a ball of energy. She danced before she could walk. She would be crawling and if music came on she would shake her little butt and it was adorable. She has been taking dance since she was 4 and instantly it became her passion. She has been on a team since she was 5 and I have always been amazed that she can get up on that competition stage and perform in front of all those people and judges and lLOVES IT. Sure she gets nervous, but she REALLY REALLY LOVES IT. She is realistic about it and knows she isn’t the best dancer out there, but she is always striving, stretching, and trying to learn to better herself and I love that about her. She also looks up to and admires the dancers her age that have a better turnout or arch in their foot, and she enjoys trying and working at it and I am here for that. Because I didn’t grow up in the dance world it has definitely been a learning curve, but I try my best to help support her. Being a dance mom has actually taught me a lot, some things are a little silly for the everyday life, but others are actually really important life lessons. Here are 12 things that being a dance mom has taught me.
- How to apply stage makeup. If you ever have to go on stage, I can make that happen, fake eye lashes and all. (Although I can’t apply fake eyelashes to myself for the life of me.)
- That your child doesn’t have to be THE BEST to still enjoy it and have fun.
- It is good for your child to have some struggles. It will make them realize that there will be tough moments in life and I feel my daughter will be better prepared. They won’t always win, sometimes they will fall, and seeing others succeed while they don’t can be hard, but that is life! I think there are so many parents who want to shelter their kids from the heartache of “losing” that when they grow up I wonder if they can cope ok?
- Watching your child grow and learn is absolutely beautiful. It takes my breath away sometimes when I see her growth in dance and her maturity right before my eyes.
- Spending time with my child and helping them go after their goals is something that they will remember forever. Even if that means tears because I accidentally glue her corner lashes together. We can laugh about it now though.
- Remembering to tell your kids how proud you are of them is so important. Children want approval, especially from their parents. In a world like dance, where they might feel like they aren’t good enough sometimes, telling them you are proud of them even for just trying and working hard is a necessity.
- Sometimes you have to remind yourself that while this is your child’s world right now and you want to help them get better and better, it might not be their entire world in the future and that is ok. When they no longer love it and it becomes a chore, make sure you can support their decision to be done or cut back. I haven’t come to that point because my daughter would dance 24/7 if I let her, but I know that if that day comes I will talk it out with her and help her make the right decision and put aside what I have invested into this journey because it isn’t about me.
- No one puts more pressure on your child than they do, so they often just need a hug and not more advice.
- Leave the coaching to the coaches and teachers, but help them with things that can be done at home like stretching and running their routines. I found the best thing I can do for my daughter is video her run throughs so SHE can watch it and critique it and I don’t have to be the one that seems like I’m criticizing her of what she did wrong.
- After they feel like they messed up the last thing they need is you telling them how bad they messed up. If they ask for a critique you can give it or if they aren’t fulfilling their end of the deal, like practicing or stretching then tell them, but if they fell out of a turn or missed a trick on stage, don’t make them feel even worse when they get off stage. I have seen this and it breaks my heart.
- Remember they are still children and you are still their mom who they go to when they are sad and hurting. Make sure you are open to listen to them if they just need to talk.
- Always keep in mind that they stare at themselves in a mirror dancing for HOURS a day. It is hard for them to not compare their body to others or focus on things they don’t like about themselves. Help build them up. The more self esteem they can have early on the better off they are.
We moved this past summer and with moving meant we had to leave the only dance studio that my daughter has ever known. Her best friends were all her dance sisters and their moms were my good friends too. We had spent countless hours together over the years through thick and thin. When I had to have major surgery, they were there with a meal train and carpooling for my daughter. Leaving that tribe was hard, but the best experience has been that our dance family has now grown. We still keep in contact with all them, but my daughter has also loved her new studio and made some pretty great friends there and I’m sure as time goes on those bonds will get even stronger too. What’s the Girl Scout song? Make new friends, but keep the old, right? This is so true and again, another life lesson that will only make my daughter stronger and more prepared for the world ahead.
I know the show Dance Moms made the dance world seem a little crazy, but for the most part we are a pretty fun group of people. We are no different than soccer moms or hockey moms or football moms. At the end of the day we are all just moms right?
Here are some other posts you might like:
Tips for Teaching Your Child Teamwork
How To Help Your Children To Like Running
What are Signs of Anxiety in a Child?
Want to come back to this? Pin it for later.
